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Cousu de fil blanc (Obvious)

The French expression “cousu de fil blanc” translates literally to “sewn or stitched in white thread”. English meanings include:

  • obvious
  • easy to see through
  • perfectly predictable

The idea is that if a dark-colored garment is sewn with a white piece of thread, the thread sticks out very clearly to the eye. Expressio.fr suggests the following definitions in French: 1) Very crude and obvious (with regards to a trial) and 2) Extremely predictable (with regards to a story).

example sentence:

  • Tout le monde sait que le procès de O.J. a été cousu de fil blanc. Il a fini par passer la reste de sa vie en prison. Everybody know the obvious outcome of O.J.’s trial. He ended up spending the rest of his life in prison.
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David Issokson
David Issokson is the founder and French teacher of Frenchlearner.com. With over 30 years of experience as a French learner and speaker, he is passionate about making the language accessible and enjoyable for everyone. David is dedicated to providing clear, practical, and effective resources to help you master French. Learn more about FrenchLearner on our about us page. Visit davidissokson.com, David's personal website.

David Issokson

David Issokson is the founder and French teacher of Frenchlearner.com. With over 30 years of experience as a French learner and speaker, he is passionate about making the language accessible and enjoyable for everyone. David is dedicated to providing clear, practical, and effective resources to help you master French. Learn more about FrenchLearner on our about us page. Visit davidissokson.com, David's personal website.

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